MacRumors' Mac Blog: Mac Apps, News and Rumors

Just a couple days after Apple released the latest MacBook Air firmware updates, Apple has released two updates to the MacBook Air involving the system's bluetooth functionality. MacBook Air Bluetooth EFI Update 1.0 and MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 are both predictably lacking in detail as to what the updates do, however Apple explains that the software requires manual...

Stuff.tv claims to have heard from a Nike spokesperson that Nike is working to bring Nike+ to Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. The first piece of news is that Nike+ will definitely be extending its compatibility beyond the iPod Nano to the iPhone and iPod Touch. No surprise there really, but the interesting detail is that it could also make use of both devices Wi-Fi (and, ultimately for the iPhone,...

Apple has released a new Get a Mac ad entitled Office Stress. The ad features PC giving Mac a stress toy, as Mac now has Microsoft Office 2008 and would supposedly be doing more "work." PC then demos the stress toy, as depicted...

ZiPhone found references to a chip called the SGOLD3 in the latest iPhone SDK, leading many to believe that this represents a new 3G chipset for the upcoming 3G iPhone. While it's not unheard of to see references to unreleased chipsets buried in Apple's software, it seems the interpretation may be a touch optimistic. First, people have been quick to presume that the "SGOLD3" refers to the SG...

Walt Mossberg denies having any specific knowledge of the 3G iPhone's release, despite matter-of-fact comments to the contrary last week. But Walt notes that in the clip, he's making an aside during a larger point about data networks, and says that in any event, he doesn't know if it's correct. So where'd it come from? It's a ballpark estimate, he says, based on... the same speculation the rest...

With news of an iPhone shortage, Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster figures an 80% chance that a new iPhone is coming. He gives only a 20% chance that there is a production or manufacturing problem. Now Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray has gone a little further, reporting that hes called around to 20 Apple stores around the U.S. and found the same thing. No iPhones to be had. Additionally, lead times on...

Apple posted an EFI Firmware update for Mac Pro owners today. The update "fixes several issues to improve the stability of Mac Pro (Early 2008) computers." Once you download the update, you must run the Firmware Updater and follow the enclosed instructions for the update to take effect. To update the firmware on your Intel-based Mac Pro: 1. Quit all other open applications. 2. Click Shut ...

Apple posted an Airport update for those of you still running Tiger: This update is recommended for all Intel-based Macintosh computers running Tiger OS and improves the reliability of AirPort connections....

Looprumors claims that they have heard that both the iMac and Mac mini are coming soon. They uniquely report, however, that the Mac mini will see a "dramatic change" in form factor, with a design that is "less than half the size" of the current design. Both the Mac Mini and iMac are expected to incorporate the latest Penryn processors from...

Apple posted a minor update to their 2008-002 Security update. Security Update 2008-002 is recommended for all users and improves the security of Mac OS X. Previous security updates have been incorporated into this security update. According to MacObserver the update "addresses reliability issues with the 'Printer Settings...'...

Kevin Rose follows up his previous rumor that a 3G iPhone is coming in the "next few months" with a Twitter post claiming he's heard confirmation from a high level Vice President at a big company that works with Apple. According to his source, "[the new iPhone] will ship in June w/3G and GPS". Kevin Rose was co-host of The Screen Savers on Tech TV and later started Digg.com....

Apple has released Plugin Manager 1.7.3 for Apple's professional applications. This update improves reliability for Apple's professional applications and is recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Express, Aperture, Logic Studio and related SDKs....

Apple has released iPod Reset Utility 1.0.3 for Mac and Windows. Use iPod Reset Utility to restore the following iPod models back to their factory settings, when iTunes is unable to do so: iPod shuffle (1st Generation) iPod shuffle (2nd Generation) The restore process completely erases all music and data on your iPod, and installs current iPod software on it. Apple has also posted a suppo...

ModMyiPhone posts two claimed leaked screenshots of the iPhone's upcoming iTunes App Store. He was just bored pressing buttons on his phone and suddenly instead of getting the normal "cannot connect" message that he had previously encountered, appstore launched revealing the appstore UI. Browsing around he found that the Genres and Top 50 categories contained a few apps. The screenshots aren't...

On his weekly video podcast Diggnation, Kevin Rose says that he's heard rumors that the next version of the iPhone is coming in the next few months, will incorporate 3G and also include a front-mounted video camera for video chat. A Youtube Video of the clip has been posted. Kevin Rose was co-host of The Screen Savers on Tech TV and later started Digg.com. He has reported some accurate...

Apple is running new web banner advertisements extending the Mac and PC TV commercials again to the web. Apple's previous 'Don't Give Up on Vista" ads ran on many sites in November. The ad is currently running on NYTimes.com....

Apple released compatibility update today to bring more RAW file compatibility to Aperture 2 and iPhoto '08. The list of cameras includes: Hasselblad CFV-16 Hasselblad H3D-31 Hasselblad H3D-31II Leaf Aptus 54S Leaf Aptus 65S Nikon D60 Olympus E-3 Pentax *ist DL2 Pentax *ist DS2 Pentax K100D Super Sony DSLR-A200 Sony...

An anonymous source is claiming that Hulu.com and Apple will be launching an iPhone/iPod Touch compatible version of the site as early as this Thursday. Anonymous sources tend to be inaccurate more times than not, but lending some level of credence to the rumor is that it appears that Hulu's base encoding is H.264 which would make such a version of the site at least technically feasible....